MA-SEM II ( CC- 8- India Unit –I)

INDIA: DRAINAGE SYSTEM

HIMALAYAN & PENINSULAR

Dr. Supriya
Guest Assistant Professor
Department of Geography
Patna University, Patna
Post Doc. Fellow (ICSSR), Ph. D: Geography (P.U, Patna);
UGC- NET-JRF (Geography);
M.A. in Geography (B.R.A.B.U, Muzaffarpur)
Mob: 9006640841; Email: supriyavatsa52256@gmail.com
 CONTENTS
 Introduction: Drainage System, Drainage Basin & Drainage Pattern;
 Classification of Drainage Systems of India;
 Difference between Himalayan & Peninsular Drainage;
 Himalayan River Systems
 The Indus River System
 Major Rivers of Indus River System
 The Ganga river system
 Major tributaries of Alaknanda
 Left Bank Tributaries of The Ganga River
 Right Bank Tributaries of The Ganga
 Peninsular Tributaries
 The Brahmaputra River System
 Peninsular River System
 West flowing Rivers of the Western Ghats
 East flowing Rivers of the Western Ghats
 Conclusion
 References
 Question of Exams & Assignments
INTRODUCTION:
 Drainage System is an integrated system of a trunk stream and
tributaries, which collect funnel surface water to sea, lake or some
other body of water.
 Drainage Basin: The total area that contributes water to a single
drainage system is known as a drainage basin and they are
distinguished from a neighbouring basin by ridges and highlands that
from divides.
 Drainage Pattern: A geometric arrangement streams in a region;
determined by slope, differing rock resistance to weathering erosion,
climate, hydrological variability and structural controls of the
landscape known as drainage pattern.
 Factors controlling drainage pattern: topography, slope, structural
control, nature of rocks, tectonics activities, supply of water and above
of all geologic history of the region controls the drainage pattern. Every
stream or river develops unique pattern of drainage with their
tributaries.
 Drainage Patterns in India
Discordant Drainage Patterns:
•Superimposed or Superinduced:
The Indus, Satluj,Ganga,Sarju/Kali,
Arun, Tista, Brahmaputra
•Antecedent / Inconsequent
Drainage: The Indus, Satluj,
Ganga,Sarju/Kali, Arun, Tista,
Brahmaputra
Accordant/ Concordant Drainage Patterns
• Consequent Rivers: Streams of Peninsular India
• Subsequent Rivers: Chambal, Sind, Ken, Betwa, Tons and Son meet the
Yamuna and the Ganga at right angles
• Dendritic Pattern: streams of Indo- Gangetic plains
• Trellis Pattern: s of the Chotanagpur plateau
• Barbed Pattern:Arun River
• Rectangular Pattern: Rivers of Vindhyan Mountains
• Radial PatternThe Amarkantak, Mikir hills & The Girinalr hills Rivers:
The Narmada, The Son, The Mahanadi
• Annual Pattern: Streams of Pithorgarh ,Nilgiri hills
• Parallel Pattern: western Coastal rivers
• Deranged Pattern: valley of Karakoram
• Centripetal Pattern: streams of Ladakh, Tibet, & Baghmati
 Classification of Drainage Systems of India
1. Drainage Systems Based on the Size of the Catchment Area:
 Major River- 20,000 Sq km
 Medium River- 20,000-2,000 Sq km
 Minor River - 2,000 and below Sq km
2. Drainage Systems Based on Origin:
 The Himalayan Rivers: Perennial rivers: The Indus, The Ganga,
The Brahmaputra and their tributaries.
 The Peninsular Rivers: Non-Perennial rivers: Mahanadi, the
Godavari, the Krishna, the Cauvery, the Narmada and the Tapi
and their tributaries.
3. Drainage Systems Based on the Type of Drainage
 Oceanic Drainage Basins: Rivers draining towards sea/ oceans.
Himalayan rivers, Deccan Rivers and Coastal rivers drain into the
sea.
 Internal/Endorheic Drainage Basins: Rivers draining into the
inland basins or lakes; Stream like the Sambhar in western
Rajasthan are mainly seasonal in character, draining into the
inland basins and salt lakes. In the Rann of Kutch, the only river
that flows through the salt desert is the Luni.
4. Drainage Systems Based on Orientation to the sea
 The Bay of Bengal drainage: Rivers (East flowing rivers) that
drain into Bay of Bengal. The Ganga, the Brahmaputra, the
Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna, the Cauvery, the Penneru,
the Penneiyar, the Vaigai, etc. 77 per cent of the drainage area of
the country is oriented towards the Bay of Benga90 per cent of the
water drains into the Bay of Bengal; the rest is drained into the
Arabian Sea or forms inland drainage.
 Arabian Sea drainage: Rivers (West flowing rivers) that drain
into Arabian Sea. 23 % of the drainage area of the country is
oriented towards the Arabian Sea. The Indus, the Narmada, the
Tapi, the Sabarmati, the Mahi and the large number of swift
flowing western coast rivers descending from the Sahyadris.
 Table: 1.1 Major River Basins in India
Name of the River Origin/ Source Length Catchment Area % Annual %
(Km) (Sq Km) Area Discharge Discharge
(M3/Km2)
I. Himalayan Rivers
1. Ganga Gangotri (Uttar 2525 861452 37.20 468700 25.2
Kashi)
1. Indus Mansarovar (Tibet) 1114 321289 9.80 79700 4.3
1. Brahmaputra Kailash Range (Tibet) 916 194413 7.90 627000 33.8
Himalayan Rivers Total 4555 1377154 54.9 1175400 63.3
II. Peninsular Rivers
1. Godavari Nasik (Maharashtra) 1465 312812 9.50 118000 6.4
Mahabaleshwar 1401 258948 7.90 62800 3.4
1. Krishna (Maharashtra)
Nazri Town (Madhya 851 141589 4.30 66640 3.6
1. Mahanadi Pradesh)
Amarkantak (Madhya 1312 98796 3.00 54600 2.9
1. Narmada Pradesh)
1. Cauvery Coorg (Karnataka) 800 81155 2.70 20950 1.1
Betul (Madhya 724 65145 2.00 17982 0.9
1. Tapi Pradesh)
1. Pennar Kolar (Karnataka) 597 55213 1.70 32,38 0.2

1. Brahmani Ranchi (Bihar) 799 39033 1.20 18310 1

Dhar (Madhya 583 34842 1.00 11800 0.6
1. Mahi Pradesh)
Aravalli Hills 371 21674 0.70 3800 0.2
1. Sabarmati (Rajasthan)
Peninsular Rivers Total 8903 1109207 34 374882 20.3
Country Total 13458 2486361 88.9 1550282 83.6
Source: India Water Portal &Department of Water Resource
 Himalayan River
 These rivets originate from the lofty Himalayan
ranges and are named as the Himalayan rivers.
 These rivers have large basins and catchment
areas. The total basin area of the Indus, the
Ganga and the Brahmaputra is 11.78, 8.61 and 5.8
lakh square kilometers
 The Himalayan rivers flow through deep V –
shaped valleys called gorges. These gorges have
been carved out by down cutting carried on side by
side with the uplift of the Himalayas.
 These are examples of antecedent drainage.
 Himalayan rivers are perennial in nature, i.e.,
water flows throughout the year in these rivers.
These rivers receive water both from the
monsoons and snow-melt. The perennial nature of
these rivers makes them useful for irrigation.
 These rivers flow across the young fold mountains
and are still in a youthful stage.
 The upper reaches of the Himalayan rivers are
highly tortuous. When they enter the plains, there
is a sudden reduction in the speed of flow of water.
Under these circumstances these rivers form
meanders and often shift their beds.
 The Himalayan rivers form big deltas at their
mouths. The Ganga-Brahmaputra delta is the
largest in the world.
Peninsular River
 These rivers originate in the Peninsular Plateau and are
named as Peninsular rivers.
 These rivers have small basins and catchment areas. The
Godavari has the largest basin area of 3.12 lakh square
kilometres only which is less than one-third the basin area of
the Indus.Valleys.
 The Peninsular rivers flow in comparatively shallow
valleys. These are more or less completely graded valleys.
The rivers have little erosional activity to perform.
 These are examples of consequent drainage.Water Flow.
 The Peninsular rivers receive water only from rainfall and
water flows in these rivers in rainy season only. Therefore,
these rivers are seasonal or non-perennial. As such these
rivers are much less useful for irrigation. Stage.
 These rivers have been flowing in one of the oldest plateaus
of the world and have reached maturity.
 The hard rock surface and non-alluvial character of the
plateau permits little scope for the formation of
meanders. As such, the rivers of the Peninsular Plateau
follow more or less straight courses.
 Some of the Peninsular rivers, such as the Narmada and
the Tapi form estuaries.
 Other rivers such as the Mahanadi, the Godavari, the
Krishna and the Cauvery form deltas.
 Several small streams originating from the Western Ghats
and flowing towards the west enter the Arabian Sea without
forming any delta.
 HIMALAYAN RIVER SYSTEMS
 The Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra comprise the Himalayan river systems.
 The Himalayan Rivers existed even before the formation of Himalayas i.e. before
the collision of Indian Plate with the Eurasian plate. {Antecedent Drainage}
 They were flowing into the Tethys Sea. These rivers had their source in the now Tibetan
region.
 The deep gorges of the Indus, the Satluj, the Brahmaputra etc. clearly indicate that these
rivers are older than the Himalayas.
 They continued to flow throughout the building phase of the Himalayas; their banks rising
steeply while the beds went lower and lower due to vertical erosion (Vertical down cutting
was significant and was occurring at a rate faster than the rising of Himalayas), thus
cutting deep gorges.
 Thus, many of the Himalayan Rivers are typical examples of antecedent drainage.
Evolution of Himalayan Drainage system:
 There was a mighty river called Shiwalik or Indo-Brahma traversed the entire longitudinal
extent of the Himalaya from Assam to Punjab and onwards to Sind, and finally discharged
into the Gulf of Sind near lower Punjab during the Miocene period some million years ago.
 The remarkable continuity of the Shiwalik and its lacustrine origin and alluvial deposits
consisting of sands, silt, clay, boulders and conglomerates support this viewpoint.
 Himalayan rivers later got dismembered into three major systems.
 This dismembered was probably due to the Pleistocene upheaval in the western Himalayas,
including the uplift of the Potwar Plateau (Delhi Ridge), which acted as the water divide
between the Indus and Ganga drainage systems.
 Likewise, the down-thrusting of the Malda gap (Garo- Rajmahal Gap) area between the
Rajmahal hills and the Meghalaya plateau during the mid-Pleistocene period, diverted the
Ganga and the Brahmaputra systems to flow towards the Bay of Bengal.
 The Indus River System
 India got her name from Indus.
 ‘The Indus Valley Civilization’ was born around this river.
 It flows in north-west direction from its source (Glaciers of Kailas Range – Kailash
range in Tibet near Lake Manasarovar) till the Nanga Parbhat Range.
 It’s length is about 2,900 km. Its total drainage area is about 1,165,000 square km
[more than half of it lies in semiarid plains of Pakistan]. It is joined by Dhar
River near Indo-China border.
 After entering J&K it flows between the Ladakh and the Zaskar Ranges. It flows
through the regions of Ladakh, Baltistan and Gilgit.
 The gradient of the river in J&K is very gentle (about 30 cm per km).
 Average elevation at which the Indus flows through JK is about 4000 m above sea
level.
 It is joined by the Zaskar River at Leh (these kind of points are important for
prelims).
 Near Skardu, it is joined by the Shyok at an elevation of about 2,700 m.
 The Gilgit, Gartang, Dras, Shiger, Hunza are the other Himalayan tributaries of
the Indus.
 It crosses the Himalayas (ends its mountainous journey) through a 5181 m deep gorge
near Attock, lying north of the Nanga Parbat. It takes a sharp southerly bend
here (syntaxial bend).
.
  Kabul river from Afghanistan joins Indus near Attock. Thereafter it flows through the Potwar
plateau and crosses the Salt Range (South Eastern edge of Potwar Plateau).
 Some of the important tributaries below Attock include the Kurram, Toch and the Zhob-
Gomal.
 Just above Mithankot, the Indus receives from Panjnad (Panchnad), the accumulated waters
of the five eastern tributaries—the Jhelum, the Chenab, the Ravi, the Beas and the Satluj.
 The river empties into the Arabian Sea south of Karachi after forming a huge delta

Major Rivers of Indus

Source Length
River System
Indus (Sindhu-Sanskrit;
Sinthos-Greek; Glaciers of Kailas Range 2880 km total.
Sindus-Latin) (Close to Manasarovar Lake) 710 km in India

Jhelum Verinag 720 km

Chenab Bara Lacha Pass 1180 km

Ravi Near Rohtang Pass 725 km

Beas Near Rohtang Pass 460 km

Satluj Manasarovar-Rakas Lakes 1450 km total

Indus Water Treaty

The Waters Of The Indus River System Are Shared By India And Pakistan According To The Indus Water Treaty Signed Between The
Two Countries On 19th September, 1960.
According To This Treaty, India Can Utilize Only 20 Per Cent Of Its Total Discharge Of Water.
Major Tributaries of Indus River
The Jhelum

 The Jhelum has its source in a spring at

Verinag in the south-eastern part of
the Kashmir Valley.
 It flows northwards into Wular Lake (north-
western part of Kashmir Valley). From
Wular Lake, it changes its course
southwards. At Baramulla the river enters
a gorge in the hills.
 The river forms steep-sided narrow gorge
through Pir Panjal
Range below Baramula.
 At Muzaffarabad, the river takes a sharp
hairpin bend southward.
 Thereafter, it forms the India-Pakistan
boundary for 170 km and emerges at the
Potwar Plateau near Mirpur.
 After flowing through the spurs of the Salt
Range it debouches (emerge from a
confined space into a wide, open
area) on the plains near the city of Jhelum.
 It joins the Chenab at Trimmu.
 The river is navigable for about 160
km out of a total length of 724 km.
 Chenab River
 The Chenab originates from near
the Bara Lacha Pass in
the Lahul-Spiti part of
the Zaskar Range.
 Two small streams on opposite
sides of the pass,
namely Chandra and Bhaga, form
its headwaters at an altitude of
4,900 m.
 The united
stream Chandrabhaga flows in
the north-west direction through
the Pangi valley, parallel to the
Pir Panjal range.
 Near Kistwar, it cuts a deep gorge.
 It enters the plain area
near Akhnur in Jammu and
Kashmir.
 From here it through the plains of
Pakistani Punjab to reach
Panchnad where it joins
the Satluj after receiving the
waters of Jhelum and Ravi rivers.
Ravi River
 The Ravi has its source
in Kullu hills near
the Rohtang Pass in
Himachal Pradesh.
 It drains the area between
the Pir Panjal and
the Dhaola Dhar ranges.
 After crossing Chamba, it
takes a south-westerly
turn and cuts a deep gorge
in the Dhaola Dhar range.
 It enters Punjab Plains
near Madhopur and later
enters Pakistan below
Amritsar.
 It debouches into the
Chenab a little
above Rangpur in
Pakistani Punjab.
Beas River Satluj River

The Satluj rises from the Manasarovar-

 The Beas originates 
Rakas Lakes in western Tibet at a height
near the Rohtang of 4,570 m within 80 km of the source of
Pass, at a height of the Indus.
4,062 m above sea level,  Like the Indus, it takes a north-westerly
on the southern end of course up to the Shipki La on the Tibet-
the Pir Panjal Range, Himachal Pradesh boundary.

close to the source of  It cuts deep gorges where it pierces the

Great Himalaya and the other Himalayan
the Ravi. ranges.
 It crosses the Dhaola  Before entering the Punjab plain, it cuts
Dhar range and it takes a gorge in Naina Devi Dhar, where the
a south- westerly famous Bhakra
constructed.
dam has been
direction and meets the
After entering the plain at Rupnagar
Satluj river at Harike 
(Ropar), it turns westwards and is joined
in Punjab. by the Beas at Harike.
 It is a comparatively  From near Ferozepur to Fazilka it forms
small river which is only the boundary between India and
Pakistan for nearly 120 km.
460 km long but lies
entirely within the  During its onward journey it receives the
collective drainage of the Ravi, Chenab
Indian territory. and Jhelum rivers. It joins the Indus a
few kilometres above Mithankot.
 Out of its total length of 1,450 km, it flows
for 1,050 km in Indian territory.
 THE GANGA RIVER SYSTEM
 The Ganga originates as Bhagirathi from the Gangotri glacier in Uttar Kashi District of
Uttarakhand at an elevation of 7,010 m.
 Alaknanda River joins Bhagirathi at Devaprayag.
 From Devapryag the river is called as Ganga.
 he Ganges was ranked as the fifth most polluted river of the world in 2007.
 Pollution threatens many fish species and amphibian species and the endangered Ganges river
dolphin (Blind Dolphin).
 The Ganga Action Plan, an environmental initiative to clean up the river, has been a major failure
thus far, due to corruption, lack of technical expertise, poor environmental planning, and lack of
support from religious authorities.
 Ganga debouches [emerge from a confined space into a wide, open area] from the hills into plain area
at
 It is joined by the Yamuna at Allahabad.
 Near Rajmahal Hills it turns to the south-east.
 At Farraka, it bifurcates into Bhagirathi-Hugli in West Bengal and Padma-Meghna in
Bangladesh (it ceases to be known as the Ganga after Farraka).
 Brahmaputra (or the Jamuna as it is known here) joins Padma-Meghna at
 The total length of the Ganga river from its source to its mouth (measured along the Hugli) is 2,525
km.
 Ganga debouches [emerge from a confined space into a wide, open area] from the hills into plain area
at
 It is joined by the Yamuna at Allahabad.
 Near Rajmahal Hills it turns to the south-east.
 At Farraka, it bifurcates into Bhagirathi-Hugli in West Bengal and Padma-Meghna in
Bangladesh (it ceases to be known as the Ganga after Farraka).
 Brahmaputra (or the Jamuna as it is known here) joins Padma-Meghna at
 The total length of the Ganga river from its source to its mouth (measured along the Hugli) is 2,525
km.
Major tributaries of Alaknanda Right Bank Tributaries of The Ganga

 East Trisul (joins Alaknanda at Karan Most of them except Yamuna

Prayag)
originate in the peninsular region
 Pindar (rises from Nanda Devi)
 Mandakini or Kali Ganga (joins  Yamuna River
Alaknanda at Rudra Prayag)
 Largest and the most important
 Dhauliganga tributary.
 Bishenganga.  It originates from the Yamnotri
 Major tributaries of Bhagirathi: glacier on the Bandarpunch Peak in
Bheling the Garhwal region in Uttarakhand
at an elevation of about 6,000
meters.
 It cuts across the Nag Tibba,
the Mussoorie and the Shiwalik
ranges.
 It emerges out of the hilly area and
enters plains near
 Its main affluent in the upper
reaches is the Tons which also rises
from the Bandarpunch glacier.
 It joins Yamuna below Kalsi before
the latter leaves the hills.
 At this site, the water carried by the
Tons is twice the water carried by
the Yamuna.
 Left Bank Tributaries of
The Ganga River
 These rivers originate in the Himalayas.
 The major tributaries apart from the Yamuna, are the
Ramganga, the Gomati, the Ghaghra, the Gandak,
the Burhi Gandak, the Bagmati, and the Kosi.
 Ramganga River
 The Ramganga river rises in the Garhwal district of
Uttarakhand.
 It enters the Ganga Plain near Kalagarh.
 It joins the Ganga at
 The Khoh, the Gangan, the Aril, the Kosi, and the Deoha
(Gorra) are important tributaries of Ramganga.
 Ghaghra River
 Its source is near Gurla Mandhata peak, south of
Manasarovar in Tibet (river of the trans-Himalayan
origin).
 It is known as the Karnaili in Western Nepal.
 Its important tributaries are the Sarda, the Sarju
(Ayodhya is located on its bank) and the Rapti.
 The Ghaghara joins the Ganga a few kilometres
downstream of Chhapra in Bihar.
 After reaching the plain area, its stream gets divided into 
many branches of which, Koriyab and Garwa are
important.
 The river bed is sandy and sudden bends start occurring
in the stream.
 The river has a high flood frequency and has shifted its
course several times.
 Kali River
 Rises in the high glaciers of trans-Himalaya.
 It forms the boundary between Nepal and Kumaon.
 It is known as the Sarda after it reaches the plains near
Tanakpur.
 It joins the
 Gandak River
 Originates near the Tibet-Nepal border at a height of 7,620 m
 It receives a large number of tributaries in Nepal Himalaya.
 Its important tributaries are the Kali Gandak, the Mayangadi,
the Bari and the Trishuli.
 It debouches into the plains at
 It flows into Ganga at Hajipur in Bihar.
 Burhi Gandak
 Originates from the western slopes of Sumesar hills near the
India-Nepal border.
It joins the Ganga near Monghyr town.
 Kosi River
 The Kosi river consists of seven streams namely Sut Kosi,
Tamba Kosi, Talkha, Doodh Kosi, Botia Kosi, Arun and
Tamber and is popularly known as
 These streams flow through eastern Nepal which is known as
the Sapt Kaushik region.
The sources of seven streams of the Kosi are located in snow
covered areas which also receive heavy rainfall.
 Consequently, huge volume of water flows with tremendous speed.
 Seven streams mingle with each other to form three streams
named the Tumar, Arun and Sun Kosi.
 They unite at Triveni north of the Mahabharata Range to
form the Kosi.
The river enters the Tarai of Nepal after cutting a narrow gorge
in the Mahabharata Range.
The joins the Ganga near
Soon after debouching onto the plain the river becomes sluggish.
Large scale deposition of eroded material takes place in the plain
region.
The river channel is braided and it shifts its course frequently.
This has resulted in frequent devastating floods and has
converted large tracts of cultivable land into waste land in Bihar.
Thus the river is often termed as the ‘Sorrow of Bihar’.
In order to tame this river, a barrage was constructed in 1965
near Hanuman Nagar in Nepal.
Embankments for flood control have been constructed as a joint
venture of India and Nepal.
Source: http://cgwb.gov.in/

Peninsular Tributaries
 Chambal River
 The Chambal rises in the highlands of Janapao
Hills (700 m) in the Vindhyan Range.
 It flows through the Malwa Plateau.
 It joins the Yamuna in Etawah district of Uttar
Pradesh.
 The river flows much below its banks due to severe
erosion because of poor rainfall and numerous deep
ravines have been formed in the Chambal Valley, giving
rise to badland topography. {Arid Landforms}
 The total length of the river is 1,050 km.
 Banas River
 The Banas is a tributary of the Chambal.
 It originates in the southern part of the Aravali
Range.
 It join the Chambal on Rajasthan – Madhya Pradesh
border near Sawai Madhopur.
 Sind River
 The Sind originates in Vidisha Plateau of Madhya
Pradesh.
 It flows for a distance of 415 km before it joins the
Yamuna.
 Betwa River
 The Betwa rises in Bhopal district (Vindhyan
Range) and joins the Yamuna near
 It has a total length of 590 km.
 The Dhasan is its important tributary.
 Ken River
 The Ken river rising from the Barner Range of
Madhya Pradesh joins the Yamuna near Chila.
 Son River
 The Son River rises in the Amarkantak Plateau.
 Its source is close to the origin of the Narmada.
 It passes along the Kaimur Range.
 It joins the Ganga near Danapur in Patna district of
Bihar.
 It flows for a distance of 784 km from its source.
 The important tributaries of the Son are the Johilla, the
Gopat, the Rihand, the Kanhar and the North Koel.
Almost all the tributaries join it on its right bank.
 Damodar river
 The Damodar river rises in the hills of
the Chotanagpur plateau and flows through a rift
valley.
 Rich in mineral resources, the valley is home to large-
scale mining and industrial activity.
 It has a number of tributaries and subtributaries, such
as Barakar, Konar, Bokaro, Haharo, etc.
 The Barakar is the most important tributary of the
Damodar.
 Several dams have been constructed in the valley, for
the generation of hydroelectric power. The valley is
called “the Ruhr of India”.
 The first dam was built across the Barakar River, a
tributary of the Damodar river.
 It used to cause devastating floods as a result of which
it earned the name ‘Sorrow of Bengal’. Now the river is
tamed by constructing numerous dams.
 It joins the Hugli River 48 km below Kolkata.
 The total length of the river is 541 km.
 THE BRAHMAPUTRA RIVER SYSTEM
 The Brahmaputra (meaning the son of Brahma).
 It is 2,900 km in length.
 Source: Chemayungdung glacier (Kailas Range) at an elevation of about 5,150 m. It’s source is
very close to the sources of Indus and Satluj.
 Mariam La separates the source of the Brahmaputra from the Manasarovar Lake.
 Brahmaputra flows eastwards in Southern Tibet for about 1,800 km.
 In Tibet it passes through the depression formed by the Indus-Tsangpo Structure
Zone between the Great Himalayas in the south and the Kailas Range in the north.
 Inspite of the exceptionally high altitude, the Tsangpo has a gentle slope. The river is sluggish
and has a wide navigable channel for about 640 km.
 It receives a large number of tributaries in Tibet. The first major tributary is the Raga Tsangpo
meeting the Tsangpo near Lhatse Dzong.
 The river Ngangchu flows through the trade centre of Gyantse in the south and joins the main
river.
 Towards the end of its journey in Tibet, its course abruptly takes a south ward turn
around Namcha Barwa (7,756 m)(Syntaxial Bend).
 Here it cuts across the eastern Himalaya through the Dihang or Siang Gorge and emerges from
the mountains near Sadiya in the Assam Valley.
 Here it first flows under the name of Siong and then as the Dihang.
 In the north-eastern parts of Assam Valley, it is joined by two important tributaries viz,
the Dibang (or Sikang) from the north and Lohit from the south.
 The main streams merging with the Brahmaputra from the north are, Subansiri, Kameng,
Dhansiri (north), Raidak, Tista etc..
 The Tista was a tributary of the Ganga prior to
the floods of 1787 after which it diverted its
course eastwards to join the Brahmaputra.
 The Brahmaputra has a braided
channel (flow into shallow interconnected
channels divided by deposited earth) for most
of its passage through Assam where channels
keep shifting. It carries a lot of silt and there is
excessive meandering.
 The river is nearly 16 km wide at Dibrugarh
and forms many islands, the most important of
which is MAJULI. It is 90 km long and
measures 20 km at its widest.
 With rainfall concentrated during the monsoon
months only the river has to carry enormous
quantities of water and silt which results in
disastrous floods. The Brahmaputra is thus
truly a River of Sorrow.
 The river is navigable for a distance of 1,384
km upto Dibrugarh from its mouth and serves
as an excellent inland water transport route.
 Brahmaputra bends southwards and enters
Bangladesh near Dhubri.
 It flows for a distance of 270 km in the name
of Jamuna river and joins the Ganga at
 The united stream of the Jamuna and the Source: http://cgwb.gov.in
Ganga flows further in the name of
 About 105 km further downstream, the Padma
is joined on the left bank by the Meghna,
originating in the mountainous region of
Assam.
 From the confluence of Padma and Meghna,
the combined river is known as
the Meghna which makes a very broad estuary
before pouring into the Bay of Bengal.
 PENINSULAR RIVER SYSTEM
 Peninsula rivers are much older than the Himalayan rivers {Discordant}.
 The peninsular drainage is mainly Concordant except for few rivers in the upper peninsular region. They
are non-perennial rivers with a maximum discharge in the rainy season.
 The peninsular rivers have reached mature stage {Fluvial Landforms} and have almost reached their base
level. [Vertical down cutting is negligible] which are characterized by broad and shallow valleys.
 The river banks have gentle slopes except for a limited tract where faulting forms steep sides.
 The main water divide in peninsular rivers is formed by the Western Ghats, which run from north to south
close to the western coast.
 The velocity of water in the rivers and the load carrying capacity of the streams is low due to low
gradient.
 Most of the major rivers of the peninsula such as the Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna and the Cauvery
flow eastwards and drain into the Bay of Bengal. These rivers make deltas at their mouths.
 But the west flowing rivers of Narmada and Tapi as well as those originating from the Western Ghats and
falling in the Arabian Sea form estuaries in place of deltas.
 There are few places where rivers form superimposed and rejuvenated drainage which are represented by
 Examples: The Jog on the Sharvati (289 m), Yenna of Mahabaleshwar (183 m), Sivasamundram on the
Cauvery (101 m), Gokak on the Gokak (55 m), Kapildhara (23 m) and Dhuandar (15 m) on the Narmada
are the major waterfalls in the Peninsular India.
 Rivers that drain into Bay of Bengal: The Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna, the Cauvery and
several smaller rivers drains south-east into the Bay of Bengal.
 Rivers that drain into Arabian Sea: The Narmada, the Tapi, the Mahi flowing west as well as several
small streams originating from the Western Ghats flow westwards into the Arabian Sea.
 Rivers that drain into the Ganges: Tributaries of the Ganga and the Yamuna such as the Chambal, the
Betwa, the Ken, the Son and the Damodar flow in the north-easterly direction.
 Rivers that drain into the Ganges
MAJOR PENISULAR RIVER SYSTEM


1. Chambal River
2. Banas River
3. Sind River
4. Betwa River
5. Ken River
6. Son River
7. Damodar River
* It will be discussed as Tributaries of River Ganga
(see slide no-18)
 East Flowing Peninsular Rivers
1. Mahanadi River
2. Godavari River
3. Krishna River
4. Kaveri (Cauvery) River
5. Pennar River
6. Subarnarekha River
7. Brahamani River
8. Sarada River
9. Ponnaiyar River
10. Vaigai River
 West Flowing Peninsular Rivers
1. Narmada River
2. Tapti River
3. Sabarmati River
4. Mahi River
5. Luni River
6. Ghaggar River – Inland Drainage
 EVOLUTION OF THE PENINSULAR DRAINAGE
Theory 1
 Geologists believe that the Sahyadri-
Aravali axis was the main water divide in
the past.
 According to one hypothesis, the existing
peninsula is the remaining half of bigger
landmass.
 The Western Ghats were located in the
middle of this landmass.
 So one drainage was towards east flowing
into Bay of Bengal and the other towards
west draining into Arabian Sea.
 The western part of the Peninsula cracked
and submerged in the Arabian Sea during
the early Tertiary period (coinciding
with the formation of Himalayas).
 During the collision of the Indian plate, the
Peninsular block was subjected to subsidence
in few regions creating a series of rifts
(trough, faults).
 The now west flowing rivers of the
Peninsula, namely the Narmada and the
Tapi flow through these rifts.
 Straight coastline, steep western slope of the
Western Ghats, and the absence of delta
formations on the western coast makes
this theory a possibility.
Theory2
 It is believed that the west flowing peninsular
rivers do not flow in the valleys formed by the
rivers themselves.
 Rather they have occupied two fault rifts in
rocks running parallel to the Vindhyas.
 These faults are supposed to be caused by
bend of the northern part of the
Peninsula at the time of upheaval of the
Himalayas.
 Peninsular block, south of the cracks, tilted
slightly eastwards during the event thus
giving the orientation to the entire drainage
towards the Bay of Bengal.
 Criticism: Tilting should have increased the
gradient of the river valleys and caused
some rejuvenation of the rivers. This type of
phenomenon is absent in the Peninsula,
barring a few exceptions such as waterfalls.
 Mahanadi River
 The Mahanadi basin extends over states of Chhattisgarh and Odisha
and comparatively smaller portions of Jharkhand, Maharashtra and
Madhya Pradesh, draining an area of 1.4 lakh Sq.km.
 It is bounded by the Central India hills on the north, by the Eastern
Ghats on the south and east and by the Maikala range on the west.
 The Mahanadi (“Great River”) follows a total course of 560 miles (900
km).
 It has its source in the northern foothills of Dandakaranya in Raipur
District of Chhattisgarh at an elevation of 442 m.
 The Mahanadi is one of the major rivers of the peninsular rivers, in
water potential and flood producing capacity, it ranks second to the
Godavari.
 Other small streams between the Mahanadi and the Rushikulya
draining directly into the Chilka Lake also forms the part of the
basin.
 The major part of basin is covered with agricultural land accounting
to 54.27% of the total area.
 It is one of the most-active silt-depositing streams in the Indian
subcontinent.
Projects on Mahanadi River
 After receiving the Seonath River, it turns east and enters Odisha Two important projects completed
state. during pre-plan period in the basin are
 At Sambalpur the Hirakud Dam (one of the largest dams in India) on the Mahanadi main
the river has formed a man-made lake 35 miles (55 km) long.
 It enters the Odisha plains near Cuttack and enters the Bay of Bengal
canal and Tandula reservoir in
at False Point by several channels. Chhattisgarh.
 Puri, at one of its mouths, is a famous pilgrimage site. During the plan period, the Hirakud
 Tributaries of Mahanadi River dam, Mahanadi delta project,
 Its upper course lies in the saucer-shaped basin called the ‘Chhattisgarh Hasdeo Bango, Mahanadi Reservoir
Plain’.
 This basin is surrounded by hills on the north, west and south as a result of
Project were completed.
which a large number of tributaries join the main river from these sides.
 Left bank Tributaries: The Seonath, the Hasdeo, the Mand and the Ib.
 Right bank Tributaries: The Ong, the Tel and the Jonk.

oProjects on Godavari River
oImportant projects completed duing the plan
period are Srirama Sagar, Godavari barrage,
Upper Penganga, Jaikwadi, Upper
Wainganga, Upper Indravati, Upper
Wardha.
oAmong the on-going projects, the prominent
ones are Prnahita-Chevala and Polavaram.
Godavari River
 The Godavari is the largest river system of the
Peninsular India and is revered as Dakshina Ganga.
 The Godavari basin extends over states of Maharashtra,
Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha in addition
to smaller parts in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and
Union territory of Puducherry (Yanam) having a total
area of ~ 3 lakh Sq.km.
 The basin is bounded by Satmala hills, the Ajanta
range and the Mahadeo hills on the north, by the
Eastern Ghats on the south and the east and by the
Western Ghats on the west.
 The Godavari River rises from Trimbakeshwar in the
Nashik district of Maharashtra about 80 km from the
Arabian Sea at an elevation of 1,067 m.
 The total length of Godavari from its origin to outfall
into the Bay of Bengal is 1,465 km.
o Tributaries of Godavari River
o The left bank tributaries are more in number
and larger in size than the right bank tributaries.
o The Manjra (724 km) is the only important right bank
tributary. It joins the Godavari after passing through
the Nizam Sagar.
o Left Bank Tributaries: Dharna, Penganga,
Wainganga, Wardha, Pranahita [conveying the
combined waters of Penganga, the Wardha and
Wainganga], Pench, Kanhan, Sabari, Indravati etc.
o Right Bank Tributaries: Pravara, Mula, Manjra,
Peddavagu, Maner etc.
o Below Rajahmundry, the river divides itself into two
main streams, the Gautami Godavari on the east and
the Vashishta Godavari on the west and forms a large
delta before it pours into the Bay of Bengal.
o The delta of the Godavari is of lobate type with a
round bulge and many distributaries.
 Krishna River
 The Krishna is the second largest east flowing river of the
Peninsula.
 The Krishna Basin extends over Andhra Pradesh,
Maharashtra and Karnataka having a total area of ~2.6 lakh
Sq.km.
 It is bounded by Balaghat range on the north, by the
Eastern Ghats on the south and the east and by the Western
Ghats on the west.
 The Krishna River rises from the Western Ghats near Jor
village of Satara district of Maharashtra at an altitude
of 1,337 m just north of Mahabaleshwar.
 The total length of river from origin to its outfall into the Bay
of Bengal is 1,400 km.
 The major part of basin is covered with agricultural land
accounting to 75.86% of the total area.
 The Krishna forms a large delta with a shoreline of about 120
km. The Krishna delta appears to merge with that formed by
the Godavari and extends about 35 km into the sea.
 Tributaries of Krishna River oProjects on Krishna River
 Right bank: the Ghatprabha, the Malprabha and the o Important ones are the Tungabhadra,
Tungabhadra. Ghataprabha, Nagarjunasagar,
 Left Bank: the Bhima, the Musi and the Munneru. Malaprabha, Bhima,
 The Koyna is a small tributary but is known for Koyna Bhadra and Telugu Ganga.
Dam. This dam was perhaps the main cause of the o The major Hydro Power stations in the
devastating earthquake (6.4 on richter scale) in 1967 that basin are Koyna, Tungabhadara, Sri
killed 150 people. Sailam, Nagarjuna Sagar, Almatti,
 The Bhima originates from the Matheron Hills and joins Naryanpur, Bhadra.
the Krishna near Raichur after for a distance of 861 km. o Tunagabhadra is a major inter-States
 The Tungabhadra is formed by the unification of project in the basin. In order to operate
the Tunga and the Bhadra originating from Gangamula in the project and to regulate the flows
the Central Sahyadri. Its total length is 531 km.
among the beneficiary States of
 At Wazirabad, it receives its last important tributary, Karnataka and Andhara Pradesh.
the Musi, on whose banks the city of Hyderabad is located.
 Cauvery River
 The Kaveri (Cauvery) is designated as the ‘Dakshina Ganga’ or ‘the Ganga of the South’.
 The Cauvery River rises at an elevation of 1,341 m at Talakaveri on the Brahmagiri range near Cherangala
village of Kodagu (Coorg) district of Karnataka.
 The total length of the river from origin to outfall is 800 km.
 The Cauvery basin extends over states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Union Territory of Puducherry
draining an area of 81 thousand Sq.km.
 It is bounded by the Western Ghats on the west, by the Eastern Ghats on the east and the south and by the
ridges separating it from Krishna basin and Pennar basin on the north.
 The Nilgiris, an offshore of Western ghats, extend Eastwards to the Eastern ghats and divide the basin into
two natural and political regions i.e., Karnataka plateau in the North and the Tamil Nadu plateau in the
South.
 Physiographically, the basin can be divided into three parts – the Westen Ghats, the Plateau of Mysore and
the Delta. The delta area is the most fertile tract in the basin. The principal soil types found in the basin are
black soils, red soils, laterites, alluvial soils, forest soils and mixed soils. Red soils occupy large areas in the
basin. Alluvial soils are found in the delta areas.
 The basin in Karnataka receives rainfall mainly from the S-W Monsoon and partially from N-E Monsoon. The
basin in Tamil Nadu receives good flows from the North-East Monsoon.
 Its upper catchment area receives rainfall during summer by the south-west monsoon and the lower
catchment area during winter season by the retreating north-east monsoon.
 It is, therefore almost a perennial river with comparatively less fluctuations in flow and is very useful for
irrigation and hydroelectric power generation.
 Thus the Cauvery is one of the best regulated rivers and 90 to 95 per cent of its irrigation and power
production potential already stands harnessed.
 The river drains into the Bay of Bengal. The major part of basin is covered with agricultural land accounting
to 66.21% of the total area.
 Tributaries of the Cauvery River: Left Bank: the Harangi, the Hemavati, the Shimsha and the Arkavati.
 Right Bank: Lakshmantirtha, the Kabbani, the Suvarnavati, the Bhavani, the Noyil and the Amaravati joins from right.
oThe river descends from the South Karnataka Plateau to the Tamil Nadu Plains
through the Sivasamudram waterfalls (101 m high).
oAt Shivanasamudram, the river branches off into two parts and falls through a
height of 91 m. in a series of falls and rapids.
oThe falls at this point is utilized for power generation by the power station at
Shivanasamudram.
oThe two branches of the river join after the fall and flow through a wide gorge
which is known as ‘Mekedatu’ (Goats leap) and continues its journey to form the
boundary between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu States for a distance of 64 km.
oAt Hogennekkal Falls, it takes Southerly direction and enters the Mettur
Reservoir.
oA tributary called Bhavani joins Cauvery on the Right bank about 45 Kms
below Mettur Reservoir. Thereafter it enters the plains of Tamil Nadu.
oTwo more tributaries Noyil and Amaravathi join on the right bank and here the
river widens with sandy bed and flows as ‘Akhanda Cauvery’.
oImmediately after crossing Tiruchirapalli district, the river divides into two
parts, the Northern branch being called ‘The Coleron’ and Southern branch
remains as Cauvery and from here the Cauvery Delta begins.
oAfter flowing for about 16 Kms, the two branches join again to form ‘Srirangam
Island’.
oOn the Cauvery branch lies the “Grand Anicut” said to have been constructed
by a Chola King in 1st Century A.D.
oBelow the Grand Anicut, the Cauvery branch splits into two, Cauvery
and Vennar.
oThese branches divide and sub-divide into small branches and form a network
all over the delta.

 Projects on Cauvery River
 During the pre-plan period many
projects were completed in this basin
which included Krishnarajasagar in
Karnataka, Mettur
dam and Cauvery delta system in
Tamil Nadu.
 Lower Bhavani, Hemavati,
Harangi, Kabini are important
projects completed duing the plan
period.
Pennar River
 The Pennar (also known as Uttara Pinakini) is one of
the major rivers of the peninsula.
 The Pennar rises in the Chenna Kasava hill of
the Nandidurg range, in Chikkaballapura
district of Karnataka and flows towards east
eventually draining into the Bay of Bengal.
 The total length of the river from origin to its outfall in
the Bay of Bengal is 597 km.
 Located in peninsular India, the Pennar basin extends
over states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka having
an area of ~55 thousand Sq.km
 The fan shaped basin is bounded by the Erramala
range on the north, by
the Nallamala and Velikonda ranges of the Eastern
Ghats on the east, by the Nandidurg hills on the
south and by the narrow ridge separating it from the
Vedavati valley of the Krishna Basin on the west.
 The other hill ranges in the basin to the south of the
river are the Seshachalam [famous for Red
Sanders] and Paliconda ranges.
 The major part of basin is covered with agriculture
accounting to 58.64% of the total area.
Tributaries of Pennar River
 Left Bank: the Jayamangali, the Kunderu and the
 Right bank: the Chiravati, the Papagni etc.
Projects on Pennar River
 Tungabhadra high level canal in Krishna basin
irrigated areas in Pennar basin also. The only major
project in the basin is the Somasila project.
Subarnarekha River
oThe Subarnarekha originates from
the Ranchi Plateau in Jharkhand forming the
boundary between West Bengal and Odisha in
its lower course.
oIt joins Bay of Bengal forming an estuary
between the Ganga and Mahanadi deltas. Its
total length is 395 km.
Brahamani River
o The Brahmani river comes into existence by
the confluence of the Koel and the Sankh
rivers near Rourkela. It has a total length of
800 km.
o The basin is bounded in the North by
Chhotanagpur plateau, in the West and South
by the Mahanadi basin and in the East by the
Bay of Bengal.
o The basin flows through Jharkhand,
Chhattisgarh and Orissa States and drains
into Bay of Bengal.
Ponnaiyar River
oThe Ponnaiyar is a small stream which is
confined to the coastal area only.
oIt covers a small area in the state of Tamil Nadu,
Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
oThe Basin is bounded on the North -West and
South by various ranges of the Eastern Ghats like
the Velikonda Range, the Nagari hills, the Javadu
hills, the Shevaroy hills, the Chitteri hills and the
Kalrayan hills and in the East by the Bay of
Bengal.
Vaigai River
o South of the Cauvery delta, there are several
streams, of which the Vaigai is the longest.
oThe Vaigai basin is an important basin among
the 12 basins lying between the Cauvery and
Kanyakumari.
oThis basin is bounded by the Varushanadu hills,
the Andipatti hills, the Cardaman hills and the
Palani hills on the West and by the Palk strait
and Palk Bay on the East.
oThe Vaigai drains an area of 7,741 Sq.Km, which
entirely lies in the state of Tamil Nadu.
o.
 Narmada River
o Narmada is the largest west flowing river of the peninsular India.
o Narmada flows westwards through a rift valley between the Vindhyan Range on the north and the
Satpura Range on the south.
o It rises from Maikala range near Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh, at an elevation of about 1057 m.
o Narmada basin extends over states of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh having
an area ~1 Lakh Sq.km.
o It is bounded by the Vindhyas on the north, Maikala range on the east, Satpuras on the south and by the
Arabian Sea on the west.
o Its total length from its source in Amarkantak to its estuary in the Gulf of Khambhat is 1,310 km.
o The hilly regions are in the upper part of the basin, and lower middle reaches are broad and fertile areas
well suited for cultivation.
o Jabalpur is the only important urban centre in the basin.
o The river slopes down near Jabalpur where it cascades (a small waterfall, especially one in a series) 15 m
into a gorge to form the Dhuan Dhar (Cloud of Mist) Falls.
o Since the gorge is composed of marble, it is popularly known as the Marble Rocks.
o It makes two waterfalls of 12 m each at Mandhar and Dardi. Near Maheshwar the river again descends
from another small fall of 8 m, known as the Sahasradhara Falls.
o There are several islands in the estuary of the Narmada of which Aliabet is the largest.
o The Narmada is navigable upto 112 km from its mouth.
Tributaries of Narmada River
o Since the river flows through a narrow valley confined by precipitous (dangerously high or steep) hills, it
does not have many tributaries.
o The absence of tributaries is especially noted on the right bank of the river where the Hiran is the only
exception.
o The other right bank tributaries are the Orsang, the Barna and the Kolar.
o A few left bank tributaries drain the northern slopes of the Satpura Range and join the Narmada at
different places.
oThe major Hydro Power Project in the basin are Indira Sagar, Sardar Sarovar, Omkareshwar, Bargi
& Maheshwar.
 1. Tapti River
The Tapti (also known as the Tapi) is the second largest west flowing

river of the Peninsular India and is known as ‘the twin’ or ‘the
handmaid’ of the Narmada.
 It originates near Multai reserve forest in Madhya Pradesh at an
elevation of 752 m.
 Flows for about 724 km before outfalling into the Arabian Sea through
the Gulf of Cambay [Gulf of Khambhat].
 The Tapti River along with its tributaries flows over the plains
of Vidharbha, Khandesh and Gujarat and over large areas in the
state of Maharashtra and a small area in Madhya Pradesh and
Gujarat.
 The basin extends over states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and
Gujarat having an area of ~ 65,000 Sq.km
 Situated in the Deccan plateau, the basin is bounded by the Satpura
range on the north, Mahadev hills on the east, Ajanta Range and
the Satmala hills on the south and by the Arabian Sea on the west.
 The hilly region of the basin is well forested while the plains are broad
and fertile areas suitable for cultivation.
 There are two well defined physical regions, in the basin, viz hilly
region and plains; the hilly regions comprising Satpura, Satmalas,
Mahadeo, Ajanta and Gawilgarh hills are well forested.
 The plain covers the Khandesh areas (Khandesh is a region of
central India, which forms the northwestern portion of Maharashtra
state) which are broad and fertile suitable for cultivation primarily.
Tributaries of Tapti River
Right Bank: the Suki, the Gomai, the Arunavati and the Aner.

 Left Bank: the Vaghur, the Amravati, the Buray, the Panjhra,
the Bori, the Girna, the Purna, the Mona and the Sipna.
Projects on Tapti River
 Hathnur Dam of Upper Tapi Project (Maharashtra)
 Kakrapar weir and Ukai Dam of Ukai Project (Gujarat)
 Girna Dam and Dahigam Weir of Girna Project (Maharashtra
Sabarmati River
 The Sabarmati is the name given to the
combined streams the Sabar and Hathmati.
 The Sabarmati basin extends over states of
Rajasthan and Gujarat having an area of 21,674
Sq km.
 The basin is bounded by Aravalli hills on the
north and north-east, by Rann of Kutch on the
west and by Gulf of Khambhat on the south.
 The basin is roughly triangular in shape with
the Sabarmati River as the base and the source
of the Vatrak River as the apex point.
 Sabarmati originates from Aravalli hills at an
elevation of 762 m near village Tepur,
in Udaipur district of Rajasthan.
 The total length of river from origin to outfall
into the Arabian Sea is 371 km.
 The major part of basin is covered with
agriculture accounting to 74.68% of the total
area.
 Rainfall varies from a meager few mm in
Saurastra to over 1000 mm in southern part.
 Left bank tributaries: the Wakal, the Hathmati
and the Vatrak.
 Right bank tributaries: the Sei.
 Projects: Sabarmati reservoir (Dharoi),
Hathmati reservoir and Meshwo reservoir
project are major projects completed during the
plan period.
 Mahi River
 The Mahi basin extends over states of
Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat
having total area of 34,842 Sq km.
 It is bounded by Aravalli hills on the north
and the north-west, by Malwa Plateau on
the east, by the Vindhyas on the south and
by the Gulf of Khambhat on the west.
 Mahi is one of the major interstate west
flowing rivers of India.
 It originates from the northern slopes of
Vindhyas at an altitude of 500 m in Dhar
district of Madhya Pradesh.
 The total length of Mahi is 583 km.
 It drains into the Arabian Sea through the
Gulf of Khambhat.
 The major part of basin is covered with
agricultural land accounting to 63.63% of the
total area
 Hydro Power stations are located in Mahi
Bajaj Sagar dam and at Kadana Dam.
 Vadodara is the only important urban
centre in the basin. There are not many
industries in the basin.
 Some of the industries are cotton textile,
paper, newsprint, drugs and
pharmaceuticals. Most of these industries
are located at Tatlam.
Luni River
 The Luni or the Salt River (Lonari or
Lavanavari in Sanskrit) is named so because
its water is brackish below Balotra.
 Luni is the only river basin of any significance
in Western Rajasthan, which form the bulk of
arid zone.
 Luni originates from western slopes of
the Aravalli ranges at an elevation of 772 m
near Ajmer flowing in South West direction
and traversing a course of 511 km in
Rajasthan, it finally flow into the Rann of
Kachchh (it gets lost in the marsh).
 Most of its tributaries drain the steep north
west of Aravalli hills and join it on left side. Its
total catchment area falls in Rajasthan.
 The peculiarity of this river is that it tends to
increase its width rather than deepening the
bed because the banks are of soils, which are
easily erodible whereas beds are of sand. The
floods develop and disappear so rapidly that
they have no time to scour the bed.
 The Ghaggar
 Some rivers of India are not able to reach
the sea and constitute inland drainage.
 Large parts of the Rajasthan desert and
parts of Aksai Chin in Ladakh have
inland drainage.
 The Ghaggar is the most important river
of inland drainage. It is a seasonal stream
which rises on the lower slopes of the
Himalayas and forms boundary
between Haryana and Punjab.
 It gets lost in the dry sands of Rajasthan
near Hanumangarh after traversing a
distance of 465 km.
 Earlier, this river was an affluent of the
Indus, the dry bed of the old channel is
still traceable.
 Its main tributaries are the Tangri, the West flowing Rivers of the Western Ghats
Markanda, the Saraswati and the
Chaitanya. oAbout six hundred small streams originate from the
Western Ghats and flow westwards to fall into the
 It contains a lot more water in rainy Arabian Sea.
season when its bed becomes 10 km wide oThe western slopes of the Western Ghats receive
at places. heavy rainfall from the south-west monsoons and are
 Most of the streams draining western able to feed such a large number of streams.
slopes of the Aravalli Range dry up oAlthough only about 3% of the areal extent flow
immediately after they enter the sandy swiftly down the steep slope and some of them make
arid areas to the west of this range. waterfalls.
oThe Jog or Gersoppa Falls (289 m) made by
the Sharavati river is the most famous waterfall of
India.
 The large geographic span of India has a variety of rain-fed and mountain glacier fed
rivers, that have sustained the ancient civilization of India, and still today continued to
provide livelihood and sustenance for the large population of the nation.
 The rivers of India, apart from their utility, are a rich storehouse of natural beauty, and
have a long and ancient history of mythological and historical treasures.
 The global environmental problems of the 21st century will also have their impact on the
rivers of India.
 Some major problems are River Water Pollution, Shrinking of Glaciers, River erosion,
Shrinking & Shifting of course or streams, Depletion in river ecology etc.
 By respecting these treasures of India, both for their history as well as for the precious
natural resource of water, these rivers will sustain our country for many centuries to
come.

 India: A Regional Geography: R.L. Singh;

 India:A Comprehensive Geography: D. R. Khullar;
 Geography of India , Majid Hussain;
 Bharat ka Bhoogol, S. C. Bansal;
 India Through Maps: R. B. Singh
 K.L. Rao, India's Water Wealth
 http://mowr.gov.in/
 Source: http://cgwb.gov.in
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_major_rivers_of_India
 Question Questions for Exams & Assignments
1. What is Drainage System? Discuss briefly the major drainage systems of India.
2. How Peninsular Rivers are different from Himalayan Region?
3. Examine the Characteristics of Peninsular or Himalayan River system? Illustrate
through Maps.
4. What is drainage pattern? Discuss the major drainage patterns found in India with
illustrations.
5. Delimitate Major River Basins of the India in 6. Identify Major Rivers of the India in Given Maps?
Given Maps?